Saturday, October 28, 2006

2007 Lamborghini Murciélago LP640

A Lamborghini isn’t just a car, it’s an event. The Murciélago, named for a famous Spanish fighting bull, has been out since 2001 with a 580-horsepower V-12 engine, and more than 2,000 have been sold — a huge number for a supercar. The LP640 is a new variant that is more powerful and more user-friendly.

The LP designation refers to the engine’s mounting position (“longitudinale posteriore”) behind the two seats; 640 is the horsepower it makes in European specification. Because of slight changes to meet American emissions rules, the output in this country is slightly less, at 632 horsepower — akin to the difference between getting hit by a .44-caliber bullet or a .45; the wounds are pretty much the same size.

The V-12’s displacement has grown to 6.5 liters, from 6.2, by increasing the cylinder bore and lengthening the piston stroke; torque output is improved to a mighty 487 pound-feet.

Gas mileage is on par with the thirstiest big trucks, just 9 miles a gallon in town and 13 on the highway, earning the government’s biggest gas-guzzler tax, $7,700. This is part of the price you pay for the most powerful street-legal (to use the term loosely) Lamborghini ever. It is also the fastest. This 3,670-pound projectile has a claimed a top speed of “over 211” miles an hour. The numbers on the speedometer go up to 220, in case you catch a good tailwind.